Did Mitt Romney Lie About Leaving Bain Capital?

The Boston Globethis morning published a story that at first doesn't sound like a very big deal, but could turn out to be an explosive issue in this campaign: It would appear that Mitt Romney lied on his resume. Here's the first two paragraphs:

Government documents filed by Mitt Romney and Bain Capital say Romney remained chief executive and chairman of the firm three years beyond the date he said he ceded control, even creating five new investment partnerships during that time.

Romney has said he left Bain in 1999 to lead the winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, ending his role in the company. But public Securities and Exchange Commission documents filed later by Bain Capital state he remained the firm’s “sole stockholder, chairman of the board, chief executive officer, and president.”

(But you should read the whole thing.) This is kind of a checkmate situation for Romney. The Romney campaign has been denying his involvement with several of Bain's most egregious layoffs and outsourcings by saying Romney wasn't employed at Bain at the time. But if this Boston Globe story is true, this means that either Bain committed fraud by advertising Romney's involvement when he wasn't really involved, or Romney was lying to wiggle out of his involvement with several of Bain's dirtiest deals.

Earlier this month, FactCheck.org stated that if Mitt Romney had not left Bain Capital in 1999, he "would be guilty of a federal felony by certifying on federal financial disclosure forms that he left active management of Bain Capital in February 1999."

The Romney campaign will try to obfuscate the story, but this could turn out to be a big fucking deal.